The Matrix: Revolution Rain
by ShadowKat
Summary: An old ship that crashed long ago has one survivor. Chased by the Agents for her special ability, the Resistance thinks her a ghost, will she die? Trapped within the Matrix forever or is freedom much closer then she thought? Promise no mushy stuff!
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:  **I don't own any thing of the Matrix.  Tough luck for me.

**Author's Note:**  Hey there fellow Matrix fans!  This is my first Matrx fic, as you can probably tell.  I'm into the Matrix but not a lot so if I get things wrong, a thousand apologies!  Anyway, I'm breaking the mold a little because this is a rare fic (trust me I've read all of them out there) but I'm going to let you read to find out about it.  Well, enjoy!

The Matrix: Revolution Rain Prologue 

What can I say?  Nothing to make you believe me-these words that I say, what I write, hell, even what I type can't make the human mind believe what it does not see fit.  It's funny; we think that nothing can surpass the human intellect yet others of our own species and sex so often fool us.  We think that nothing can beat us, the humans, because we think that we are the all-knowing all-powerful gods of our world.

            Yet it is our own foolishness that is our demise.  How many times must a man be tricked into giving up his possessions and money?  How many times must a woman hide in the shadows to fool her husband?  How many times must we lie to try and escape punishment?  How many times do we go through the day without noticing all the back allies, side turns, detours, and stops we take to avoid the truth?

We think that we are so superior when really we are not.  If we were these gods that we so unjustly think we are then we would have no problems-we would accept the truth with an open mind and heart.  We do not.  Instead we drag our fingernails along as we try to resist the truth.  

So why is it so hard to believe when I say that humans are flawed?  That we are not these mighty heroes conquering the world around us, that we are not gods upon our own Mount Olympus, and that we cannot truly believe that we are all good.  You see our flaw is that our minds believe what they want too, and that nothing can change that.  It's our own stubbornness that leads us down the road of ill fate.

Our intellect is nothing compared to the vastness of the universe.  Our pride at our great cities seem like nothing compared to a burning of a newborn star.  Our strength and numbers pale when compared to the thousands of atoms that makes up our world.  Tell me why we think we're gods when obviously there are more things in life then we could ever conquer that are mightier, greater, faster, more vast in numbers and smarter then us?  

The answer is our minds.

Our minds, as many neuron-connections and brain cells that we have, as smart as the smartest of our race are, still possess the one thing we cannot beat.  Ego.  Everything we do somehow affects our ego and that's what important.  Foolishness blossoms from the seeds of our ego and in return ego gives root to foolishness, which, in turn, leads us to our demise in one-way or the other.  They're like a food chain, they cannot be pulled apart for one feeds the other and if you pull one apart it destroys the whole species.

Can we escape this flaw?  No, for that's what killed us.  Again, I say, the words that I spill from my mouth can be taken one of two ways-straight or with thought.  The way with thought causes contradictory feelings and confusion, which can prove to be a hostile thing to over come.  The way of taking my words straight can prove to be hard and difficult but it pays off.  You can believe or you cannot believe.  It's your choice for I cannot change your mind.  I believe I've already proven that.  The only choice that you have to make is whether or not you wish to read more.  

If you chose to end it here, that's fine.  Stop reading and just go on with your life.  If you chose to continue reading I cannot help what happens-there is no turning back.  Once you know what you know you can never take it back.  Which choice will you make?


	2. Chapter One

**Disclaimer:  **What can I say?  Nothing, except that the Matrix isn't mine but Rain is!  

**Author's Note:  **Wow!  So many people!  Thanks a lot for reviewing and I'm sorry that this took so long-my beta reader was off on vacation and I had extra work.  But please, review, because the next chapter is coming out tomorrow!

**The Matrix: Revolution Rain**

_Chapter One_

I would start off by telling you the year but hell I don't even know it.  You find it strange to not know what year it is exactly?  So do I, and though I have a feeling-an estimate-it's not accurate.  It's like the flow of time has been adjusted while you were asleep and when you awake you find yourself in a whole other time zone.  It's disorienting.  

Then, learning not to reach for a clock or to check the date, to know that there is no real sense of time besides what you can count, that can be very unnerving.  Is it the fifteenth or the twenty-sixth?  Is it April or June?  Is it three or four in the morning?  Is it dawn or dusk?  

So many questions and you're not really sure of the answer.  You have to learn how to guess.  Pretty soon everything comes down to a guess because in our world there is no definite answer.  It's constantly changing because that's its job, programmed to change according to others.  

Well, I can see that you're confused now.  Let me revise what I have said.  It's been so long since I've had to explain to anyone.  Basically, we think the year is 2599.  The keyword here is "think".  We are not sure because the first of us just sort of woke up from a deep sleep and figured out the year by estimating and using logic.

We are humans and we live on Earth.  Or what used to be Earth or what still is.  You can take your pick of terms.  Many people like to assume different things.  It helps in the readjusting period.  For now, we'll say we live on what used to be Earth.

In the beginning of the twentieth century we saw the rise of a new era-the dawn of a new beginning for the people on Earth.  Our modern technology had grown and we had developed new technology that was sure to change the way we lived.  Revolutionary technology was born and we were very proud of our selves.  The technology did change the world for good… for a while.  

Artificial Intelligence, or A.I. for short, was what we called it: a computer capable of learning from its surroundings just as we did; learning from what we taught it, told it, showed it and programmed it to learn.  There was nothing else like it.  It was extraordinary, a show of our intelligence and superiority and soon took over.  They were in everyone's houses and intergraded themselves into part of our society.  They were powered by solar energy so they never had to use up our precious fuels and energy reserves.

However, we were a little too zealous.  

The A.I. learned and grew into something we could not manage.  They decided that we were too weak to live, inferior to them, so they would stomp us out of existence.  Or perhaps we were threatened by their, what we thought, sudden awareness to the world around them and the fact that for once there was something that we could not beat but could beat us.  

In all, we don't know who started it; perhaps it was a growing discontentment from both sides, but someone started the makings of war.  Strikes were made at the other side for years; each exchanging deadly or cunning attacks on the other.  We built technology that could disassemble the A.I., disconnect their power source, we were even able to block out the sun thinking that without their main energy source the A.I. would not survive.  How wrong we were.

The A.I. discovered that one human output more thermal energy then anything on Earth.  They were smart and figured out that if they could harness it they would not need the sun.  With enough humans they could sustain themselves forever.  So they captured us, trapped us in a cocoon with wires connecting to our arteries and nerves, and melted a substance that would conserve our thermal heat long enough for the cocoon to harness the energy.  

The machine that harvested our energy was like a long stem with hundreds and thousands of these cocoons attached to them.  At first it was only one stem extending deep into the Earth's crust and as high as any skyscraper.  However, the Earth began to cool without the sun and the machines had to move the upper parts deeper into the crust.  Then they needed more heat for they created more machines so another stem was created.  And then another and another until there were more then a hundred stems with more then ten thousand people in the cocoons.  The people who died while connected to the machine were liquefied and used as the substance that would collect our heat.

At first people didn't go along with the plan.  So the A.I. created a program in the form of a computer game in which a world that was exactly like the one we used to live in, one so real we couldn't tell it apart; a world that was a fantasy that our minds went along with, plugged into it like a remote control into a consol.  The wires that connected us became neuron transmitters that gave our brain the necessary signals from the program that interacted with us.  The plan was so perfect that we fell for it-for a while.

The first program was too perfect and people began to rebel.  The A.I. learned that humans needed disaster and ill fate to live with in a world so they adjusted the program.  They recreated the world that we lived in during 1999.  It was perfect and soon they had enough energy to last for along time.

Yet people decayed in their cocoons, they died and were liquefied to create-what, more of the substance?  Humans were beginning to die and there was more of the substance then there were people to use it.  That was when the A.I. learned a valuable lesson.  When humans are alone in their cocoon they cannot reproduce.  

That was when the A.I. figured out they would birth their own humans to power them.  We are still not sure how they did it but they did and soon they grew, like we grew plants, rows and rows of humans.  There was no stopping them now.

We did not know anything.  We were all continent in our own little reality.  The program that enslaved us was called the Matrix but we didn't care.  Hell we didn't even know it was a program.  Yet someone did and they got out of the program, woke up in the real world.  

What they saw horrified them.  The Earth was destroyed-once great cities were now abandoned, the sun gone and dark clouds covering the once blue sky.  There were no lakes or oceans, just a cold crust.  The only free human civilization was underground, constantly moving until they finally settled near the core where it was still warm.  Old cities that had been built underground during the first years were destroyed long ago by the A.I. and now were considered sewers.

However, this one person who had rebelled and fought the Matrix, and escaped its hold, this one man rose up and began to free people.  I cannot explain the procedure because I never had to go through it and no one has yet to explain it to me in a way I can understand.  I'll let someone else fill you in on that.  This man awoke many into the real world, showed them the Matrix, and convinced them to help him.  

The A.I. was watching however.  They had expected something like this to happen so they had prepared.  They could enter the Matrix and take over any human in it and become Agents-people who patrolled the streets to make sure everything was in order.  It was like a security program to prevent an uprising.  

Yet we thought we had an advantage.  Since we knew that the Matrix was a computer program we learned that we could bend and break the laws of it.  We were able to fly, to jump impossible lengths, and gravity was no longer trivial to us.  The same applied for the Agents though.  No matter how strong or fast we were they were always faster and stronger.

Born with sensory links, we soon were able to download information into our brains by the press of a button.  We also were able to create a mini program like the Matrix only we could control it, called the Loading Program, later to be called the Construct.  We used it as a battle simulator and we could create anything we wanted and transfer those things to the Matrix.  All this helped in the fight against the Agents but it still wasn't enough.  No matter what we knew the Agents always knew more.  However, all hope was not lost.

There was a being called Oracle that was on our side.  The rebels that knew the truth were taken to her for when the One had died, the man that had started to revolution; she had prophesized that he would return.  All rebels were taken to her so she could identify them.  The fight would continue until the One would return to them and bend the Matrix to his will.  For that was his power.  

Now that's the history.  That's our past.  There is one free colony on Earth and it's called Zion.  That's where the party will be when we defeat the Agents and the A.I.  At least, that's what I'm told.  

But enough of this history and past revelations-I'm sure you're bored of that.  You want to know what's happening now.  What's going on in the Matrix and how do I know all this?  Then listen.  I'm one of the rebels who were awoken.  I know the truth and I've seen and tasted it.  I've lived in a different shadow then what my fellow fighters have chosen but I'm still fighting.  My name is Rain Barton, my hacker name or alias is Shadow, and I'm the only one who knows the secret of killing Agents.  

There was a beeping to her right as she turned in her small office chair to check a monitor.  "Yeah, yeah, I know," she muttered to no one as she quickly tapped a flashing light on the monitor.  The beeping stopped and she sighed.  

Her desk was a mess of papers and sheets upon sheets of numerical data.  It was like an ocean of data.  If anyone was to see her desk they wound wonder how she was able to fit the two monitors in with the heap of junk.  One monitor was her laptop and the other in which she used to track a certain amount of data that came in, colorful wires attached the large screen, which were plugged directly into the wall.  She turned to her main monitor, her laptop, and finished typing her email.  

Rain Barton was a twenty seven year old woman who knew something that someone else wanted very badly.  She knew the secret of life.  When she was young she had been liberated from her enslavement in the A.I. farm where they grew humans.  Her family, or what she called them since they had raised her, a handful of individuals who fought against the machines, had taken her in and aboard their ship the Indigo, had taught her the truth of the world she was in.  That it was nothing more then a computer program; something used by the A.I. to keep humans comfortable as they harvested their thermal energy.  

Though they were only part of a handful of the dozen or so rebels that roamed the underground "sewers"-the destroyed cities of the humans-they possessed a few weapons against the A.I. that no one else had.  The crew of the Indigo were among the first to perfect they systems that would revolutionize the fight against the machines; for they had been the ones who developed the E.M.P. (Electro-Magnetic Pulse) weapon that was now currently used against the A.I., they created the beginnings of a smaller Matrix program that could create anything and bring it into the Matrix, the Loading Program, and finally they were the only ones who knew how to kill the Agents.

Or, more appropriately, had known.

Rain closed her eyes and fought back the tears.  She hated remembering.  She hated seeing their faces as they forced her into the Matrix-all for her protection.  She hated hearing their cries as she left the real world and entered the false reality of the Matrix.

"Don't beat yourself up," she whispered as she shook her head to rid her eyes of the coming tears, "remember what he said."  She looked up at her monitor again and started typing.  She had to keep going.  There was no time for remorse or tears.

Rain didn't have a job or career because it was too dangerous for her.  The Agents knew that she could kill them and they considered her a troublesome bug that must be squashed.  They had hunted her all over the Matrix for years, trying to catch her unaware, but she was always watching.  Whenever she was forced to run she always told herself that they would not be able to catch her, not now and not ever.  Perhaps that was how she was able to elude them for so long.

Suddenly her second monitor began beeping again and Rain turned to it.  She gazed at it as she read the new data that had just come in.  A small smile lit up her thin face.  They are here, she thought as she turned the power off of her second monitor and stood up.  She closed her laptop, unplugged it, and put it inside a black bag that she threw over her shoulder.  They're here, she thought as she left the small hotel room.

Out side it was dark and clammy-the regular New York night.  People wandered the streets still wondering what their life held for them.  Rain watched them sort of pitying the poor fools, and at the same time envying them.  If only they knew half of what I did, she thought as she continued to walk.  They would never believe it.  

She had to get to downtown before they left.  If they did she'd probably never get a chance like this again.  I just hope they don't under estimate me, she said to herself.


	3. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: Go to the prologue for it.

A/N: Well, I apologize for the long wait.  I had to finish another story and decide the destiny of this one.  Anyways, here's the answers or replies to some of the reviews.

**Kit19:** I'm glad you like the idea!  I wanted something new and unusual to enter the Matrix world-that and I don't really liked the billions of Neo/Trinity fics.  Yes, I'm an underdog lover.  As for your two questions, yes Rain was forced back into the Matrix not long after she was freed.  Why? You'll have to read for that.  The crew did know how to kill Agents and they don't know how (because they're dead) anymore.  Rain… well, read and see.

**AquarianWind:**  I'm glad you like the story so far.  I hope you keep reading.

*** * Chapter Two * ***

"Street," a tall, muscular man with long black hair pulled up against his skull said to his partner, a woman with bleached army style hair and a powerful build.  Both wore sunglasses to hide their eyes as they walked through the crowds; though at night it was quite a sight.

"It's 5401, we're coming up on it," replied his companion.

There was no response from the man as they walked down the semi-empty sidewalks.  It was a casual sidewalk carnival that New York experienced a lot during the summer.  There was nothing special about the carnivals-they came, they worked, and then they left, usually leaving behind a large mess to clean up.  To the unknowing eye this would seem like a regular carnival, however, it was not.

It was a carnival run by Agents to try and attract hackers to take into their custody.

"Here," said the peroxide blonde as she pointed to a small side street.  The man turned and they briskly walked down the street, ignoring the strange glances they got as they went.  As far as the crowd was concerned they were just regular carnival junkies.  As they approached their target the sounds of fighting could be heard.  There was a muffled scream and then the sound of flesh-on-flesh contact.  "Trouble," the man said as they turned the corner and stared into the bleak sight of a dead end.

There, cowering in the corner was a girl of twelve, trying to control the tears that spelt from her eyes as she stared up into the dark eyes of her destroyer.  A tall man built like a statute stood before wearing, ironically, a dark suit much like tax collectors wore.  He held a gun to the girl and was about to shoot when the peroxide blonde ran forth and tapped the man on his shoulder.

"Hey," she said as he turned to her, "the girl's underage."  With that she delivered a powerful punch to the man's face that sent him flying backwards into the brick wall.  As he slouched, dazed, she turned to her partner who was kneeling next to the girl.  "Behind!"  She yelled as a duplicate of the black suited man appeared at the mouth of the ally.  

She pulled out her guns from the safety of her white jacket and began to fire a rapid shower of bullets at the intruder as her partner covered the girl for protection.  What the hell are Agents doing here?  He wondered as he turned to check up on his partner.  

That was when he saw it.  The previous Agent got up from his slouched position against the wall and rushed the blonde as the other Agent, with inhuman speed, dodged her bullets and came at her, fists raised.  Without thinking he got up and rushed the Agent coming from behind, blocking his raised fist and distracting him.  Both Agents were very worthy opponents as they delivered hard hits trying to break the rebel's defenses.  As the man and the woman blocked incoming punches, kicks, and strikes they both knew the outcome of this battle.  

One way or another they would die-that's what you got for challenging an Agent.

It seemed to stretch out forever but in reality it was only a few minutes.  The battle was hard and very challenging as each had to think two steps ahead of the Agents to remain alive.  Both were tiring considerably and it showed.  It was maybe only another few minutes before they would collapse, forever.  The blonde slipped up and instantly the girl's hopes vanished-her mysterious savior was doomed like her.  As the blonde attempted a feeble attempt to save her life by jumping back up, thinking that this might buy her some time, she quickly discovered her mistake as she threw a wild punch.  The Agent's steadfast hand seemed to grab hers out of the air and hold it, crushing her bones beneath his powerful grip.  "You're dead," the Agent whispered in the blonde's ear as he blocked her other punch.  

"I don't think so," came another voice.  Like a bird she came flying into the battle, landing right next to the intertwined fingers of the Agent and Rebel, delivering a swift chop to the Agent's arm, breaking his grip on the blonde.  "Try again," she said with a self-knowing smirk.  

With energy unlike anyone had seen the woman took on the Agent delivering such forceful strikes so fast it was hard to follow.  "Get her out of here!"  She yelled at the rebels as she cornered the Agent and the other came at her.  She jumped up on the wall and back flipped behind the Agent, catching him unaware with a sidekick that sent him flying into his fellow Agent as he turned to face her.  As the Agents worked to untangle them selves, the woman watched as the blonde and the black haired man picked up the shaking girl and began to run from the dead end.  As they passed her, she reached out and caught the man's arm.  

Shaded eyes looked into clear blue ones as she stared at him, her eyes strangely devoid of emotion except for one, determination.  She uncurled his clutched hand and dropped into it keys.  "Kawasaki Ninja Storm, black.  Be soft on the gas as you ease her out, she's temperamental," she said and then pushed him off.  The man didn't have time for questions as he raced to catch up to his partner.  The woman turned back to her attackers as they rose.  "Come on boys, that can't be all you've got," she said as she heard the groups' footsteps fading.  

"Where?"  The blonde woman asked as she turned from the ally and onto the street carnival.  Her companion had caught up and she watched as he pointed to a black motorcycle parked on the other side of the street.  He gave her the keys.  "Go, I'll meet you," he said.

"What are you doing?"

"Rescuing the woman."

There was a slight nod as the blonde helped the terrified girl over to the motorcycle.  The man turned back and headed down towards the dead end, pulling out two guns as he went and cocking them.  He was going in prepared.  

A/N: Well, there's the second chapter.  I hope you all like it.  The next will be coming out very soon I promise, since I finished my other story and have almost decided on the fate of this story.  I know it was extremely short and I apologize but this part of the timing was messed up with the next chapter so I had to cut them apart.  The next one will be longer I promise.  Until next time!


	4. Chapter Three

_Disclaimer: _Refer to the first chap.

_Author's note:_ Hey everyone! Long time no update and I apologize, but I'm sure everyone can understand with the end of school! Hurray! Summer break is here! I hope everyone has plans!

**Kit19:** Yeah, Rain was forced back into the Matrix but I explain why in a later chapter. Rain does know how to kill Agents but since the crew is dead they sorta… can't. Lol. I'm glad you like the idea! I was trying not to go all cocky and still keep it in the Matrix theme. Apparently the idea works, I guess.

Now, onto the story!

**Revolution Rain**

****

_Chapter Three_

Twisting and turning through allies like some sort of crazed mouse running in a maze that never ended, Rain ran for her life. Her mind was working overtime as she plotted her course through the streets and back ways of New York. This was her turf, her home, and she could easily take anyone on-hell, she did it all the time. So why was she running?

Because I've got two people after me and I don't know what they want, she thought as she dodged a woman with her hands full of shopping bags. I don't trust them. Something isn't right… She had grown up learning to trust her instincts and right now they were screaming at her to run. Or was that frear? Darting through crowds Rain did everything she could to lose her followers. Of course, in the mobs of people all around, running people did not attract attention.

I thought that those people who I saved last night were rebels and that I could meet their commander but no rebel would go and track me down. It would draw too much attention to them inside and out of the Matrix, she thought.

_But things might have changed_, a voice told her.

No, things are always done the way they're supposed to be done. Rebels are not to draw attention to them selves. They are like assassins in this world and out. Anyone trained differently won't last long.

_How do you know that? Maybe they're making way with the war. Maybe things have changed._

It still doesn't give into reason. It has worked well so why change their training? Why would rebels track me down if they were fighting for freedom? Why track down one survivor? The machines would notice and track them down in both worlds. There is no way they would to put this much effort into finding me if they were rebels. They must be some kind of program created to capture me.

_Why do you doubt the people who want to save you?_

Because they have no reason for this! It's not logical!

_They do. Look past history and maybe you'll stop running from it. Things change._

Rain shook her head as she ran into an ally. That wasn't true. Things didn't change, not that easily. She stopped, knowing that she was in downtown NYC at night, but ignored her urge to run and rested against the wall of the shopping complex behind her, trying to catch her breath. Her eyes darted around as her sensitive ears tried to catch the sounds of someone who might've followed her. Only the faraway sounds of the mains roads and the occasional voice of someone coming out of the closing shops behind her reached her ears. Glancing around, only shadows in the long ally stood still, broken by the occasional light hanging high on the wall above a backdoor, but still mostly covered in shadows. She could see no one lurking behind the metal trashcans or the large dumpster in front of her. She heard and saw no one. Smiling with self-satisfaction, she started to walk away.

Suddenly a hand darted out of nowhere, capturing her mouth and violently yanking her back into the shadows. Another hand appeared out of nowhere and encircled her waist, clamping her hands to her sides, her body pushing against a large, warmer body. She could feel her attacker's breath on her ear as he leaned in. "Stay still," commanded a man's voice.

Eyes widening unnaturally, Rain realized that it was the guy from Rockfish: the rebel. How did he get here? She wondered. I thought I lost them. Remaining silent but body tensed, ready for action, she watched as two Agents suddenly rounded the corner and another one stood up from behind the dump she was almost ready to walk by. Damn, it was a trap! She thought as she watched. "The Rogue disappeared," one said, his voice monotone.

"Possible known location?"

"Unknown."

"Any trace on the Rogue?"

"None."

"Then we return to base."

Rain watched as the Agents left the ally. Strange, they never give up so easily, she thought. Could he really be a program? Then why didn't he call them over? Questions raced through her mind as her attacker doubled checked to assure that the Agents were actually gone before he let go of her mouth, still keeping her body pinned to him. "Now, maybe we can talk," he said. "I doubt that," Rain sneered. Now she saw that they were in a small wedge of the ally, small enough that the walls were just barely a foot from Rain and deep enough that the shadow of it barely covered them. She had an idea that the man was probably backed up against the wall. Her mind raced as she formulated a plan to get out of the man's grip.

"Are you with them or us?" He questioned.

"I'm not telling."

"What's your name?"

"None of your business." She felt his grip tighten.

"I don't have time for this. Answer me!"

"I don't have time for this, either. Sides, I'll only answer to one person; your captain." Time to escape, she thought. With that Rain used her heel and nailed the guy in the shin. His grip weakened a bit but not enough, so she stomped on his foot. Now his grip became loose enough for her to break free. Jumping up and planting her feet flat against the opposite walls, she used her weight to push the guy into the back wall, officially knocking him off balance.

Balanced like a snake stretched between two branches, she took a couple hard steps up the wall before she grabbed hold of the bricks to her left, moving so she was now perched in the crevices of the brick wall. Jumping to the other wall, she then pushed herself forward using the wall as her springboard so she was propelled towards the opposite wall again. Using the same technique she flew upwards until she reached the top of the building. Flipping out of the wedge she landed on the roof. Not even waiting for her body to recover from the jolt of hitting concrete she was up and already running away from the man.

* * *

Ten days later Rain sat in apartment, her body curled up on her couch with her head resting on her knees, arms loosely thrown around her legs. Her life was pathetic she had decided. She had quit her job, been evicted from her apartment, and she still had Agents after her.

But did she regret her decision?

Maybe. She had to make her life look miserable if she wanted her plan to work. She did everything to identify herself with the rebels-if that was even who they really were-and make sure she had their attention so that two days ago when she had sent the message to the rebels, they would get it. It read:

Captain,

Meet me in Central Park at four AM or lose your war.

It was simple, there was no way to trace it, and it didn't give much information. If they had been suspicious that she held some secret weapon for them, whether rebel or machine, she had just confirmed it. She had to admit, she must've looked really odd, and confirming that image of her hidden identity had given her the upper hand. Yet why did she feel like she was about to walk into a death sentence?

I can't shake this feeling that there's something I'm missing, she thought. I've avoided the Agents for years and they're convinced I'm some rogue program because they can't track me easily. All the while, I've been tracing the rebels, trying to find a way to contact them. When I finally find them I can't decide whether they're real or not. God, my sense of reality is so screwed from this stupid program.

Not wanting to follow that line of thought she looked up at her alarm clock glowing in the darkness of her apartment. Better get going, she thought. Standing up, she ignored as her body protested as she pulled on a long dark coat and left the apartment. Disguised with a black beanie that covered her hair, goggles, and a long black coat, no one could notice her. Not even if Agents suddenly appeared, and certainly not if that "rebel" showed up. I can't believe I'm doing this, she thought as she walked. Am I desperate or just too idealistic?

Fifteen minutes later Rain stood in Central Park in the location where she was to meet this captain. She hadn't mentioned to come alone-she knew that the captain would bring backup whether or not she had requested or not. She had been right. Right as her watch hand clicked into the four o'clock position the sounds of footsteps drew her attention to a tall, burly man with a baldhead and small round glasses approach. He had muscles and looked like he could handle himself. His dark skin made his companion seem like a ghost, with his white skin and dark hair. Rain almost smiled-her favorite rebel has accompanied his captain, though she doubted he was the only one to do so.

"So you came," she said coolly as they stopped five feet from her. She noticed they both wore sunglasses even though it was dark; their shadowy clothing and black jackets blended into the darkness as if they were one with the night. It added to the effect of "people on a mission" theme. "I… assume you are the contact," said the burly man. His voice was uneven and Rain knew that he was unsure of this.

Rain nodded as she used her ability to quickly scan them from behind her red lens goggles. What she saw threw her just a bit-their code was that of a rebel's. There is no way the Matrix could copy that, she thought, slightly reassured deep inside. "This is where you introduce yourself," she almost commanded. "I am Morpheus, and this is my companion Apoc," the black man said after a pause. Obviously he wasn't used to not being the authority figure.

"Apoc, Morpheus, I am RedBird. The reason I contacted you was because I have a deal for you," she paused, gauging their reaction. Morpheus apparently thought she was waiting for some signal to continue for he nodded. Slightly irked, Rain continued. She had to keep up appearances, after all. "I know someone who has an ability which is extraordinary, unstoppable, revolutionary, pick a name and call it that. Their… ability could be of much use to you and they are willing to offer their services to you for one thing; you free them from the Matrix."

"If they already have this ability, why are they not free already?" Apoc asked.

Rain smirked. He was suspicious. "You could say… Complications arose. I am not entitled to give any more information then that. Either you agree and gain an upper hand in this war or you disagree and lose a very powerful weapon. Your choice."

"How does this person know about the war? Who are you?"

"If we agree, what are the conditions?" Morpheus asked, cutting Apoc off.

"The conditions are that you will receive help on missions which will require maximum security. This person will not accept any other missions, until you free them. Afterwards they will join your crew."

"If we do not agree?" Apoc asked.

"Then this person will find another source of freedom." Her tone was threatening.

"Do we have any assurances?"

"There are no assurances."

There was silence as Morpheus thought it over. She knew it was dangerous, she knew that he would probably chose to deny her offer, and she knew that not in a million years would anyone take such dangerous risks just to assure the possibility of winning a war. Yet this Morpheus seemed like the kind of person that gambled. She watched his face like a hawk, reading his emotions as they passed over his face. He was curious, but weary, yet he felt like this was their only option so far. Perfect, he is a gambler, she thought. There was a little bit more silence before Morpheus said something but Rain already knew what he was going to ask. "Do I meet this person?"

"You will know them on the missions by their actions."

"How do we contact them? I doubt they'll just know when we need them," Apoc said pointedly.

Oh, how he wanted to poke a hole in her argument. Cute, Rain thought idily. He doesn't trust me. Are you afraid for your crew Apoc? "Don't be thick, Apoc. They are willing to risk exposure to one person, a contact that can be used by your company. That contact will know the person but is to keep silent until that person is freed. Only then will you, Morpheus, and your crew-I assume you have one-meet them. Any breach of this agreement will forfeit your chances of using this person and their ability and they will seek another company. Any information they learned during this time can be used as bargaining chips only if the agreement is breached."

Apoc took a hold of Morpheus's arm and led him away from the woman, making sure to keep her in sight. "It's risky," he said. "Yes, but until we find the One we need someone to give us the upper hand in this fight," Morpheus sighed.

"You're accepting?"

"I have to. It's the best chance we're going to get."

"If you're sure…"

"I'm not."

Morpheus returned to Rain. She smiled polietely, though she knew what they had said. "I accept your terms," he said, sounding a bit gloomy.

"Good. They'll be pleased. Before I leave, you need to name your contact."

"Now?"

"Yes, now, or else the deal's off."

"Very well. Apoc will serve as the contact."

Rain nodded. Inside she was cursing her luck and, by the looks of it, so was Apoc. "The contact has twenty-four hours to meet the person at this location at the exact time named. If the contact is late the agreement is terminated. From there more instructions will be given." She handed him a floppy disk.

"Agreed."

"Then hope that everything goes smoothly, Morpheus."

Rain turned and left the park, weary, and listened for anyone following her. No one did. As the woman's form disappeared, Apoc turned to Morpheus. "You think they'll keep their end of the bargain?" He asked, making sure she was out of earshot. "I'm not positive," Morpheus replied doubtfully.

"It's a risky move."

"I know. That's why I picked you. You're the damn best security we have Apoc. We can't afford any goofs. You will protect this person with your life and assure that everything goes smoothly no matter what. However, if something seems the least bit off about either this person or the situation, you will report directly to me along with an update of what we're supposed to do to free this person's mind."

Apoc nodded. "I understand."

_"The Subject has acquired a contract with the humans."_

_"This could prove to be a problem."_

_"Should we continue with the mission?"_

_"Hold formation until further information is acquired."_

_"Agreed."_


End file.
